New drugs are available to help prevent migraines
Q: You recently had a question from a pharmacist whose sister developed ulcers taking Excedrin Migraine for her headaches. She should consider using the new Food and Drug Administration-approved injectable called Aimovig. This is a medicine to prevent migraines. I just had my fifth dose yesterday, and my migraines have improved greatly. The only real side effect is constipation, which can be managed with MiraLAX.
A: Erenumab (Aimovig) is an important new advance for migraine prevention. The FDA approved it earlier this year. Two similar drugs were approved even more recently: fremanezumab (Ajovy) and galcanezumab (Emgality). These all are injections that patients administer themselves to prevent recurrent migraine headaches.
Q: I’ve tried different things to stay awake while driving and found that sunflower seeds worked better than anything else. If I know I have a long trip or will be driving late at night, I make sure I have sunflower seeds in my car.
A: To our surprise, we found that Israeli scientists have published research comparing energy drinks and sunflower seeds for combating driver fatigue (Accident Analysis and Prevention, September 2009). Both approaches worked equally well, although manipulating the sunflower seeds to shell them could get in the way of quick driving maneuvers in the simulator.
Q: I just spent a week taking care of my two grandchildren, 2 and 6 years old. The littlest one had a horrible night cough. After two sleepless nights listening to his coughing spasms, I rubbed his feet with Vicks VapoRub and put his little socks on. He didn’t cough that night. We repeated this the following night, and he had only one little three-minute episode. He slept through all the coughing. Then the 6-year-old started coughing at night, so I did the same for him. No coughing.
A: We first heard about this home remedy from a nurse. Since then, we have tried it ourselves and found it helpful. Many other readers also report success with this old-fashioned drugstore product. We suspect that the menthol, eucalyptol, camphor and thymol are stimulating sensory nerves on the soles of the feet. These connect to the spinal cord and may help calm the cough center at the base of the brain.
Q: You have written about using table mustard for muscle cramps, but you should discuss its applicability for alleviating acid reflux. I was taking Zantac for occasional reflux when a friend mentioned swallowing a tablespoon of common yellow mustard as a palliative. When I tried it, I was astonished at how soon the reflux subsided in response, far quicker than Zantac takes effect.
A: We are not aware of any scientific studies explaining this remedy, but scores of readers have testified that it works for them. We don’t know whether the active ingredient is the vinegar in mustard or the turmeric that provides its brightyellow color. Curcumin is the source of turmeric’s color. The compound has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects in the digestive tract (Current Gastroenterology Reports, April 2016). Research conducted on laboratory rats showed that curcumin could ease esophageal ulcers under specific conditions (Journal of Natural Medicines, July 2006). We don’t know whether that might be the reason it seems to help heartburn symptoms.
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Send questions to them via www .peoplespharmacy.com.